1. neighborhoods to rent a flat in. I'm looking for a place that is not too expensive; where the neighbors keep to them selves, but one in which the client will find appealing (as in not too dodgy or inconvenient to get to). Earl's Court is one of my favorite spots in London.

I still wouldn't work from home, but Earl's Court passes those tests and has a significant sex work scene. It's not cheap though - if you live there you get letters from estate / letting agents on a daily basis telling you how much you could rent the place for.

2. could we go over the landlord / tenant issue again; the landlord is not responsible for my activities; however, i would be responsible for any activity that took place if i were to sublet the flat (which i do not intend on doing). Is that correct?

Basically. If they know what you're doing, they'll either throw you out or charge you much more.

If you did sublet, the place becomes a brothel, and that's illegal for you (to control) and them (to allow). If they don't own the place themselves, they're also committing an offence if they knowingly let you use the place for 'habitual prostitution', another reason for making sure they don't find out.

3 if i hire a security guy, he is not liable for anything, e.g. can't be accused of being a pimp? yes?

What's illegal is 'control for gain'. He can gain for your work (i.e. you can pay him) but he cannot do anything like tell you who to see, what to charge, what to do etc etc. Obviously, that's not going to be the case but if you piss off the neighbours and the police take an interest in you and he's done things like answer the phone and chat with potential clients while you're busy, he's still likely to be ok, but they're going to start asking questions.

4. i read some info on punternet about walkups. are these worth it or a waste of time?

The people I know who've worked in one are mixed. You can make money, but it's by having a very large number of clients: if you look at the reviews on PN, you'll see the price in a Soho walkup tends to be low. They're not cheap to rent either and if you don't get the volume, it's quite possible to leave with less than the maid, despite having half a dozen or more clients.

When I first started, the internet was just beginning to take off; and so the isolation was tremendous; almost no websites providing this sort of info.

Yep. It's amazing how much difference the net, mobiles (US: cell phones, Germany: handy phones) etc have made.

"And you try and tell the young people of today that ..... they won't believe you."

thanks for your answers. one more question regarding the walkups; if the fees are so low, who sets the fees? does a WG rent the walkup on a temp basis?

A walkup is another term for brothel basically and the owner/manager sets the terms not you normally also they have a dreadful reputation for both gals and clients alike and not the best route to follow if wanting to enter the profession

one question...why there's another word for "walk up" instead of just saying "parlors"? 

I'm puzzled...

Quote from: MM

one question...why there's another word for "walk up" instead of just saying "parlors"?

A mix of things, including history and...

The fact that they're not on the ground floor - you literally 'walk up' stairs to get to them.

Parlours often have some sort of commercial licence, typically as a massage parlour, rather for what's actually going on. Walk ups don't.

People expect a choice of workers in a parlour, whereas walk ups are usually single worker (typically changing during the week) places.

Parlours will usually advertise under their brand. Walk ups have a different marketing niche.

The nearest equivalent to a 'walk up' would probably be a continental window brothel, but with a maid and stairs, and without a street-level presence above a 'model, 2nd floor'-style card.

My question is does anywhere outside Soho use the term?

would it be okay to ask if "all walk ups" have a different level in terms of high end/middle end or low end or more or less not so high end?  wonder if covent garden used to be similar to soho before it went trendy roughly 10 years ago or so?


massage parlors....it seems there are different types: one that operates with a set of girls (really a brothel isn't it?) I can never understand the double standard of councils which receive tax from what's really a brothel (illegal isn't it?) with a false cover of "massage parlor" = sex work. 

so is the difference whether the "place" is paying tax or not?  I know some "known" place (very busy) with no such liscense but paying a lot of tax as some blue movie company. 

I have known one place that's organised more informally minimum 2 hours to cater one known client with two girls etc but it tends to be the owner joins in!  they don't operate regularly so could this be classified as "walk up" perhaps?